


Seattle to New York: Calls from Love-Confused Lawyers

by SophieliaThropp



Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieliaThropp/pseuds/SophieliaThropp
Summary: When a moment happens between two name partners in New York, they call some old friends who know a thing or two about falling in love in the workplace.
Relationships: Donna Paulsen/Harvey Specter, Samantha Wheeler/Katrina Bennet
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

It was six months of settling in to their new home in Seattle before, on an unassuming Tuesday, Donna’s phone lit up, the name ‘Katrina Bennett’ flashing across her screen. She and Harvey were curled up on their sofa after a rewarding day at ‘Zane Ross’, wrinkling her nose at the phone. She shared a confused look with her husband, who was similarly none the wiser, before answering. “Hello?”

“Donna!” Katrina sounded relieved, and jittery, as she spoke. “I’m sorry, I just don’t have anyone else to call. Are you busy?”

This made Donna frown. Whilst in New York, Katrina and Donna has become friends. Albeit, they didn’t have much in common, but Donna was a confidant for most of the firm, and Katrina was no exception. But they had barely spoken since the move, other than a congratulatory text to one another on their nuptials and name partnership respectively. “No, I have a minute or two.” She noted the time. “Katrina it’s 3am there. Where are you?”

She could hear the general sounds of New York down the line. “I’m outside the firm. I just left.” Katrina still sounded shaky, but somewhat calmer. So something must have happened at the firm. 

“Are you hurt?” Harvey looks at her, concern littering his features. 

“No, I’m okay.” That made her relax some. “I just need... advice?” The fact that sounded like a question meant that this conversation was clearly going to take longer than the time she had. 

“Katrina I’m in New York this weekend, would you like to grab lunch?” Harvey’s brow furrows as she hears Katrina sigh in relief. They agree to meet at Donna’s old apartment at noon Saturday, before Donna ensured that she got in a car and was taken home. 

Harvey slings an arm around her. “So, when were you going to tell me you’re in New York this weekend?”

Donna shrugs. “I wasn’t going to be. But I need to do some shopping and that sounded like a conversation she wanted to have face to face.”

He grins, leaning down and kissing his wife. “You’re too sweet.” She smiles back at him and shrugs. 

“Well, I have a rich husband who can pay for my flight back to New York.” Donna teases, bringing him in for another kiss. 

—

Katrina has been stood outside apartment 208 for 10 minutes. 

“This is ridiculous.’ She reasoned with herself. This was Donna, one of the most compassionate people she’s ever known. She had no reason to be psyching herself up to go inside. 

As she went to knock, the door swung open. “I’ve let you stand there long enough. Come inside.” Donna stood there, dressed far too casually to be going out. 

“I thought...” 

“You look like you saw a ghost in my lobby. I imagine this is going to be a conversation you’d prefer to have here?” Donna held her phone up as she leans against the doorframe. “Plus I’m really craving shitty Thai food.” 

That casual tone brought a smile to Katrina’s face, and she reached out and gave a hug to her friend. “It’s really good to see you Donna.”

The food arrived and the two women sat and made small talk as they ate. Before long containers lay empty and wine bottle was near drained. They laughed at the tail end of a ‘Mike and Harvey take Seattle’ story, before Donna levels Katrina with a look. “Now come on, you didn’t call me at 3 in the morning just because you were missing me. What happened?”

Katrina takes a deep breath. “It’s... about Samantha.” Donna’s features were schooled, but internally she frowned. Maybe it was being away, but her Donna intuition was off; she thought Katrina’s problem was to be one of the heart.  
“We’re working on a case together, Rogers and Phillips Enterprises is being sued.” Katrina stops, almost forgetting that Donna no longer worked for the firm. “It’s my first client I’ve taken on since I made name partner.” 

Donna frowns at her. “And Samantha is what? Getting too involved?” At the moment, Donna couldn’t see what it was that got Katrina so flustered that night. 

Katrina shakes her head. “She’s been excellent, as a colleague and as a friend.” She grins to herself, remembering the long nights of scotch and takeout, bouncing ideas of one another and regaling in stories from the long years of practising together, both at ‘Rand Kaldor Zane’ and here at the new firm. “It’s been a really tough case and she’s been someone I could really rely on.”

She can already see the end of the story. But she asks anyway. “So what happened?”

Katrina blushes, pauses. “I... We were in my new office. It was late, we’d hit a snag in the case that we weren’t expecting and we had court the following day. We’d been looking for something to save us for hours, when I found a precident that we hadn’t considered. When I told her, she just lit up and she grabbed my hand and she looked so beautiful and... And...” Wait for it. “I kissed her.” Bingo. Maybe her Donna senses weren’t so off after all. 

Donna observed the other woman, noting that she’s never looked so young. She’s the youngest Name Partner in New York, but with so much attitude you almost forget that she’s still a girl. She has tears in her eyes and she’s not looking at her. 

Donna puts a hand on her shoulder. “What happened then?”

Katrina takes a shuddering breath. “I ran out of there. I panicked. I called you. The next day I called Louis and told him that Samantha should go to court for me, that I was sick.”

“Katrina have you been to work this week?” Donna forces her to make eye contact. She looks at her guiltily. “Katrina! You can’t just avoid your job because of one person, especially as name partner.”

Katrina stands, indignant. “I know that! But Donna I just kissed my fellow partner! My very straight female partner! Who I don’t even know is gay!” She stops her pacing. “I don’t even know if I’m gay.”

Donna’s heart breaks for the poor confused woman. She stands, takes Katrina’s hand and puts her other on her shoulder, which makes the girl look at her. “Label or no label, you deserve to be with someone who makes you happy.” Katrina finally breaks a small smile at this. “Is that what Samantha is?”

Katrina shrugs. “I think she could be.”

Donna gives a wide smile. “Then you need to go for it.”

She looks as if she’s seen a ghost. “No. Donna I can’t! God, work is already going to be horrifically awkward, just like...”

“Like Brian?” Donna finishes. “Katrina, Samantha isn’t married. Or dating anyone.”

“But that doesn’t mean she likes me. Or women, even, at all.” 

Donna laughs a small laugh. “I’ve seen the way that woman is. Trust me, she’s at least a little gay.” 

Katrina doesn’t seem to react to this, just staring at the floor. Donna takes her in, and puts an arm around her. “Katrina. I told you that you needed to work on yourself. And I’ve seen how far you’ve come.” 

The young girl nods, more to herself than anything else. “What if we mess it up?” Donna remembers the feeling well. 

“You’ve just got to believe you won’t, and take each day as it comes.”

Katrina is looking at her like her word is gospel. She lets out a relieved sigh, and looks the calmest she has all evening. “Thank you, Donna. For flying out here and... for everything.

Donna just smiles, raises her glass and clinks if softly against Katrina’s. “Anytime.”

—

Not a week later, Donna’s phone buzzes once again, this time with a text. She glances at the screen and lets out a loud, barking laugh. 

Katrina - Is there any forms we need to sign? I don’t want to ask Louis.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whilst Katrina leans on Donna, Samantha turns to Harvey for help.

The elevator doors close, the banter between them dying into a comfortable silence. The Scottie case had caused a rift between them, but it was nice to be back to where they used to be. 

“So I should probably send you one too.” Samantha says, picking at her nails, so quiet that if they hadn’t been stood so close, he mightn’t have heard her. 

“What?” Harvey speaks at a normal volume, but he sounds booming in comparison. He looks at her, but she remains transfixed on her hands. 

“A list. Of ex-girlfriend-lawyers.” Ah. Harvey takes a moment, considers what his partner is confiding in him. He just nods, as the doors open. 

“Have it on my desk in the morning.” He throws at her as he heads out, and she grins in response. 

—

He gets a call two days after she gets back from New York. “Samantha.”

“Donna told you.” She jumps straight to it. 

“How do you know Donna knows anything?”

“Do I have to remind you who your wife is?”

Harvey grins, thinking about the redhead in the office next to his. “No, you don’t. Now why don’t you tell me what you need.”

Half the country away in a not dissimilar office, Samantha sighs and pours a drink. “What am I supposed to do when another partner plants one on me in the middle of the offices?”

Harvey chuckles, thinking back to being in Samathas shoes only a few years before. “My advice, marry her as soon as you can. Worked for me.”

Samantha laughs joylessly. She takes a drink, then says “Harvey this could really mess things up. We’re both name partners...”

He hums. “Plus you’d have to tell Louis you’re banging his progeny.

“Harvey.” She starts to lose her temper and he laughs. 

“Samantha. It’s simple. If you want to go for it, don’t waste your time.” He says it with so much conviction it stills her. She takes a deep breath. “The rest will fall into place. Once you know, you know.”

Samantha nods. “Thank you Harvey.”

The call ends. Harvey grins at his phone.

—

Samantha: Need to update your list. Thank you Harvey. 

“What are you smiling at?” Donna wraps an arm around her husband, who spins to face her. Smiling, he kisses her deeply. She pulls away puzzled. “What was that for?”

“I had a phone call today, reminded me of how much time we wasted.” He shrugs. Her face shows understanding. 

“Samantha.” She kisses him. “Harvey we didn’t waste any time. I was always by your side and you by mine. We just... took our time.” 

He smiles, kissing her forehead. “We may have took our time. But we’re here now.”

Donna entangles their hands, feeling the rings on their hands. “We’re here now.”


End file.
